Personal sports writing archive of Blake Murphy.

Raptor Recalibration, Game 4: Grinding it out in Oakland, Fred VanVleet as a second-half starter and more

Title: Raptor Recalibration, Game 4: Grinding it out in Oakland, Fred VanVleet as a second-half starter and moreDate: June 8, 2019Original Source:The AthleticSynopsis: In my latest for The Athletic, my playoff day-after playoff column looked at the Raptors moving within one win of a title with a Game 4 victory against the Warriors.

Given what I knew about Saturday going into Friday, I expected differently.

You see, my good friend and counterpart here, Eric Koreen, turns 34 today, and it would have felt at least a little more fitting if his birthday were accompanied by a more anxiety-inducing Raptors situation. It’s not that Eric doesn’t enjoy positive things, it’s just that, as he’s noted in the past, “sad season is when I shine.” Eric is always great, but he really kills those where-do-we-go-from-here moments.

At the very least, we learned today that The Good Place won’t be back, which should satisfy the universe as far as Eric’s birthday is concerned. Ending The Good Place after four seasons despite how phenomenal it is must be tough. It’s probably the right call, though. Too many shows use success (and therefore, money) as a reason to stick around too long, diluting the overall quality of the series. The Good Place has a premise that, in theory, has a limited lifespan anyway, and by ending it now, Michael Schur and company can be certain the show closes as the best possible version of itself.